Sapphire by John Martyn - DeepRiffs

ALBUM

Recorded in the Bahamas with the help of Robert Palmer, Sapphire continues in the vein of the early-'80s slicker John Martyn sound. By now the guitar has sunk so far into the mix to where it's become virtually nonexistent, and keyboards and drum machines have taken over. Not that omnipresent guitar is necessary for a good Martyn album, but a career that's built so much with guitar, when changed to less guitar, needs to have something else going for it. Martyn's unique voice and adept songwriting have proven to be enough since his guitar sank into the background, but unfortunately these attributes aren't enough to sustain this particular album. The only really memorable tracks are "Fisherman's Dream" and "Mad Dog Days." "Over the Rainbow" (yes, the song from Wizard of Oz) is a surprisingly good choice for Martyn, yet it works much better in his live shows than here in a studio version.
© Rob Caldwell /TiVo

1. Sapphire

Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Composer: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Composer
Mixing: Andy Lyden; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Andy Lyden; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Other

2. Over The Rainbow

Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Composer: Harold Arlen
E.y. Harburg; Composer
Lyricist: Harold Arlen
E.y. Harburg; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: Harold Arlen
E.y. Harburg; Other

3. You Know

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn; Other

4. Watching Her Eyes

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn; Other

5. Fisherman's Dream

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn; Other

6. Acid Rain

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Other

7. Mad Dog Days

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn; Other

8. Climb The Walls

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn; Other

9. Coming In On Time

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn; Other

10. Rope-Soul'd

Performer: Dave Murricane; Performer
Primary Artist: John Martyn; Main Performer
Composer: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Composer
Lyricist: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Composer
Mixing: Harvey Goldberg; Production
Mixing Assistant: Stephen Street; Production
Producer: John Martyn; Production
Recording Arrangement: Dave Murricane; Production
Studio Personnel: Stephen Street
Harvey Goldberg; Production
Composer Lyricist: John Martyn
Alan Thomson; Other

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

10 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

41 minutes and 46 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 1423x1423 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

All tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

2/10 tracks have synced lyrics

Genres

Pop/Rock, Singer & Songwriter, Psychedelic, Folk-Rock, Traditional Folk, Singer-Songwriter, British Folk

Label

Universal-Island Records Ltd.

Music Distribution Service

UMG Global

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Oct 31, 1984

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

42282297129